Systems and methods for pedestal configuration

ABSTRACT

Exemplary apparatuses for centering and/or leveling a pedestal of a processing chamber may include a mounting block having a central axis, a set of first gauges mounted on the mounting block, and a set of second gauges mounted on the mounting block. The set of second gauges may be mounted substantially perpendicular to the set of first gauges. The plurality of first gauges may be configured to obtain measurements indicative of a degree of parallelism between a gas distribution plate of the processing chamber and the pedestal. The plurality of second gauges may be configured to obtain measurements indicative of a degree of axial alignment of a ring member of the processing chamber and the pedestal. The exemplary apparatuses may be used for centering and/or leveling the pedestal under vacuum.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/702,675, filed Jul. 24, 2018. The entire contents of that applicationare hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates to semiconductor processes and equipment.More specifically, the present technology relates to centering and/orleveling a pedestal of a semiconductor processing chamber.

BACKGROUND

Integrated circuits are made possible by processes which produceintricately patterned material layers on substrate surfaces. As devicesizes continue to shrink in next-generation devices, uniformity ofprocessing conditions continues to increase in importance, chamberdesigns and system set-up may have an important role in the quality ofdevices produced. Thus, there is a need for systems and methods that canbe used to produce high quality devices and structures.

SUMMARY

Exemplary apparatuses may include an annular mounting block, a pluralityof first gauges, and a plurality of second gauges. The annular mountingmay include a central axis, a sidewall about the central axis, and amounting platform extending radially inward from the sidewall toward thecentral axis. The plurality of first gauges may be mounted on themounting platform such that the plurality of first gauges may beoriented substantially parallel to the central axis. The plurality offirst gauges may be configured to obtain a first plurality ofmeasurements indicative of relative distances between a plane that maybe substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the annularmounting block and measured points. The plurality of second gauges maybe mounted on the mounting platform such that the plurality of secondgauges may be oriented substantially perpendicular to the central axisand a measuring tip of each second gauge of the plurality of secondgauges may extend radially beyond the sidewall of the annular mountingblock. The plurality of second gauges may be configured to obtain asecond plurality of measurements indicative of relative distancesbetween the central axis of the annular mounting block and measuredpoints.

In some embodiments, the plurality of first gauges may include at leastthree dial gauges. The plurality of second gauges may include at leastthree dial gauges. In some embodiments, a measuring tip of each firstgauge of the plurality of first gauges may include a flat tip. Themeasuring tip of each second gauge of the plurality of second gauges mayinclude a roller tip.

In some embodiments, the sidewall of the annular mounting block may becharacterized by a plurality of reference surfaces. Each referencesurface of the plurality of reference surfaces may be substantiallyparallel to the central axis of the annular mounting block. Eachreference surface of the plurality of reference surfaces may bepositioned at an equal distance from the central axis of the annularmounting block. Each second gauge of the plurality of second gauges maybe mounted above one reference surface of the plurality of referencesurfaces such that the measuring tip of each second gauge of theplurality of second gauges may extend radially beyond the referencesurface of the plurality of reference surfaces below.

In some embodiments, the exemplary apparatuses may further include areference plate. The reference plate may include a raised portion. Theraised portion may be characterized by a flat surface. The referenceplate may be releasably attached to the mounting platform of the annularmounting block. The annular mounting block may define a recess suchthat, when the reference plate may be attached to the annular mountingblock, the raised portion of the reference plate may be received withinthe recess of the annular mounting block, and the flat surface may facea floor of the recess and may be suspended from the floor of the recess.

In some embodiments, the exemplary apparatuses may further include agauge spindle compressor. The gauge spindle compressor may bepositionable about the central axis of the annular mounting block. Thegauge spindle compressor may define a tapered inner surface. The taperedinner surface may be configured to compress a gauge spindle of eachsecond gauge of the plurality of second gauges when the gauge spindlecompressor may be positioned about the central axis of the annularmounting block and the annular mounting block may translate along thecentral axis of the annular mounting block.

In some embodiments, the exemplary apparatuses may further include aleveling reference plate and a zero setter. The leveling reference platemay be characterized by a first surface, a second surface opposite tothe first surface, and a plurality of openings. The zero setter mayinclude a cylindrical body. The cylindrical body may include a pluralityof protrusions extending from a first surface of the cylindrical body.Each protrusion of the plurality of protrusions of the zero setter maybe configured to be received in an opening of the plurality of openingsof the leveling reference plate. Each protrusion of the plurality ofprotrusions may be characterized by a height dimension that may be lessthan a thickness dimension of the leveling reference plate defined bythe first surface and the second surface of the leveling reference platesuch that the plurality of protrusions may not extend beyond the secondsurface of the leveling reference plate when the plurality ofprotrusions of the zero setter may be received in the plurality ofopenings of the leveling reference plate. The zero setter may furtherinclude a plate member. The plate member may be supported by thecylindrical body. When the plurality of protrusions of the zero settermay be received in the plurality of openings of the leveling referenceplate, the zero setter may be supported by the leveling reference platesuch that a first surface of the plate member of the zero setter may beparallel to the first surface of the leveling reference plate.

The present technology may also include exemplary methods. The exemplarymethods may include collecting, via a plurality of first dial gauges, afirst set of measurements. The first set of measurements may beindicative of relative distances between a plurality of locations at agas distribution member of a semiconductor processing chamber and a topsurface of a pedestal of the semiconductor processing chamber. Theexemplary methods may further include adjusting the pedestal to a firstposition based on the first set of measurements such that the topsurface of the pedestal may be substantially parallel to a bottomsurface of the gas distribution member.

In some embodiments, the exemplary methods may further include reducinga pressure inside the semiconductor processing chamber toward vacuumprior to collecting the first set of measurements. In some embodiments,the exemplary methods may further include raising the pedestal toposition a flat tip of a gauge spindle of each first dial gauge of theplurality of first dial gauges in contact with the bottom surface of thegas distribution member. In some embodiments, the exemplary methods mayfurther include zeroing the plurality of first dial gauges with respectto the top surface of the pedestal.

In some embodiments, the exemplary methods may further includecollecting, via a plurality of second dial gauges, a second set ofmeasurements. The second set of measurements may be indicative ofrelative distances between a plurality of locations at a ring member ofthe semiconductor processing chamber and a central axis of the pedestal.The exemplary methods may further include adjusting the pedestal to asecond position based on the second set of measurements such that thecentral axis of the pedestal and a central axis of the ring member maybe aligned.

In some embodiments, the exemplary methods may further include placing agauge spindle compressor inside a chamber body of the semiconductorprocessing chamber. The gauge spindle compressor may include a taperedinner surface. The exemplary methods may also include raising thepedestal to cause a roller tip of a gauge spindle of each second dialgauge of the plurality of second dial gauges to slide along the taperedinner surface and pass the tapered inner surface until the roller tip ofthe gauge spindle of each second dial gauge of the plurality of seconddial gauges may be positioned against an inner surface of the ringmember of the semiconductor processing chamber.

In some embodiments, the plurality of first dial gauges and/or theplurality of second dial gauges may be mounted on a mounting block. Insome embodiments, the exemplary methods may further include placing themounting block around the pedestal. The mounting block may include aplurality of protrusions to be received inside a plurality of recessesat the pedestal such that, when the mounting block may be placed aroundthe pedestal, a central axis of the mounting block and the central axisof the pedestal may be aligned.

The present technology may also include additional exemplaryapparatuses. The exemplary apparatuses may include a gauge mountingblock, a plurality of first gauges, and a plurality of second gauges.The plurality of first gauges may be mounted on the gauge mountingblock. The plurality of first gauges may be configured to obtainmeasurements that may be indicative of a degree of parallelism between afirst component of a lid stack of a semiconductor processing chamber anda pedestal of the semiconductor processing chamber. The plurality ofsecond gauges may be mounted on the gauge mounting block. The pluralityof second gauges may be configured to obtain measurements that may beindicative of a degree of axial alignment between a second component ofthe lid stack and the pedestal.

In some embodiments, the semiconductor processing chamber may furtherinclude a chamber body. The lid stack may be configured to be opened andclosed relative to the chamber body such that a pressure inside thesemiconductor processing chamber may be reduced toward vacuum when thelid stack may be closed. The plurality of first gauges may be configuredto obtain the measurements that may be indicative of the degree ofparallelism between the first component of the lid stack and thepedestal under vacuum. The plurality of second gauges may be configuredto obtain the measurements that may be indicative of the degree of axialalignment between the second component of the lid stack and the pedestalunder vacuum.

In some embodiments, the gauge mounting block may include a centralaxis, a sidewall about the central axis, and a mounting platformextending radially inward from the sidewall toward the central axis. Theplurality of first gauges and/or the plurality of second gauges may bemounted on the mounting platform. The plurality of second gauges may beoriented substantially perpendicular to the plurality of first gauges.

In some embodiments, the exemplary apparatuses may further include agauge spindle compressor. The gauge spindle compressor may be configuredto be positioned about a central axis of the pedestal. The gauge spindlecompressor may include a tapered inner surface. The tapered innersurface may be configured to engage and compress a roller tip of eachsecond gauge of the plurality of second gauges.

In some embodiments, the first component of the lid stack may include aplate member. The degree of parallelism may be determined between alower surface of the plate member and an upper surface of the pedestal.In some embodiments, the second component of the lid stack may include aring member.

The present technology may provide numerous benefits over conventionalsystems and techniques. For example, the present technology may allow apedestal of a processing chamber to be centered and/or leveled underatmospheric or vacuum conditions. The present technology may transmitmeasured data wirelessly and/or using wired connections to a remotecomputer outside the processing chamber for an operator to center and/orlevel the pedestal. The present technology can achieve resolution and/oraccuracy comparable to conventional systems and techniques, but maysignificantly reduce cost. These and other embodiments, along with manyof their advantages and features, may be described in more detail inconjunction with the below description and attached figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the disclosedtechnology may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of thespecification and the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of one embodiment of an exemplaryprocessing system according to embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 2A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplaryprocessing chamber according to embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 2B shows a detailed view of a portion of the processing chamberillustrated in FIG. 2A according to embodiments of the presenttechnology.

FIG. 3 shows a bottom plan view of an exemplary showerhead according toembodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of an exemplary apparatus for centeringand/or leveling a pedestal of a processing chamber according toembodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the apparatus illustrated inFIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A shows a top perspective view of an exemplary reference plate ofthe exemplary apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B according toembodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 5B shows a bottom perspective view of the reference plateillustrated in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A shows a top perspective view of an exemplary zero setter of theexemplary apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B according toembodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 6B shows a bottom perspective view of the zero setter illustratedin FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C shows a perspective cross-sectional view of the zero setterillustrated in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A shows a perspective cross-sectional view of an exemplary gaugespindle compressor of the exemplary apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 4Aand 4B according to embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 7B shows an enlarged view of a portion of the gauge spindlecompressor illustrated in FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 shows exemplary operations in a method for centering and/orleveling a pedestal of a processing chamber according to embodiments ofthe present technology.

FIGS. 9A-9H illustrates select operations of the method of FIG. 8 usingvarious components of the exemplary apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 4Aand 4B according to embodiments of the present technology.

Several of the figures are included as schematics. It is to beunderstood that the figures are for illustrative purposes, and are notto be considered of scale unless specifically stated to be of scale.Additionally, as schematics, the figures are provided to aidcomprehension and may not include all aspects or information compared torealistic representations, and may include exaggerated material forillustrative purposes.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have thesame reference label. Further, various components of the same type maybe distinguished by following the reference label by a letter thatdistinguishes among the similar components. If only the first referencelabel is used in the specification, the description is applicable to anyone of the similar components having the same first reference labelirrespective of the letter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

During semiconductor processing, etching and/or deposition uniformitymay be sensitive to the axial alignment between a pedestal in thechamber body, on which a substrate may be placed for processing, and lidstack components through which various processing gases and precursorsmay be delivered and/or distributed into the chamber and onto thesubstrate. The etching and/or deposition uniformity may also besensitive to the parallelism between the pedestal and the gasdistribution components in the lid stack.

Some conventional tools may center the pedestal with respect to thechamber body and/or may level the pedestal with respect to a top surfaceof the chamber body under atmospheric conditions. However, the lid stackmay be hinged to the chamber body and may be opened and closed relativeto the chamber body. When the lid stack may be closed, the gasdistribution components of the lid stack may not be axially aligned withthe chamber body and/or parallel to the top surface of the chamber body.Consequently, the gas distribution components of the lid stackcomponents may not be axially aligned with and/or parallel to thepedestal, affecting processing uniformity. Further, when the chamberpressure may be reduced to vacuum, movement of components during thepumping process may also affect the axial alignment and parallelismbetween the gas distribution components and the pedestal.

Some conventional technologies utilizing capacitance based sensors maycenter or level the pedestal under vacuum. However, the cost forcapacitance based sensors and the related centering and/or levelingtechnologies can be very high. Further, data wires may be required insome conventional technologies to transmit measurements obtained by thecapacitance based sensors to an operator's device outside the processingchamber.

The present technology overcomes these issues by utilizing dial gaugesthat may be configured to determine the parallelism between the pedestaland the gas distribution components in the lid stack and/or to determinethe axial alignment therebetween. The present technology may transmitthe measured data wirelessly to a remote computer for an operator tocenter and/or level the pedestal. The present technology may allow thepedestal of the processing chamber to be centered and/or leveled underatmospheric or vacuum conditions. The present technology can achieveresolution and/or accuracy comparable to conventional capacitance basissensors, but may reduce the cost by at least 70% or more.

Although the remaining disclosure will routinely identify centeringand/or leveling specific components of a processing chamber with respectto other components of the processing chamber utilizing the disclosedtechnology, the technology should not be considered to be so limited asfor centering and/or leveling the identified components only. Moreover,although exemplary semiconductor processing chambers are described toaid understanding of the present technology, the technology should notbe considered to be so limited as for centering and/or levelingcomponents of semiconductor processing chambers only or to the exemplarychamber described. It is to be understood that the present technologycan be utilized for any type of processing chamber, as well as otherapplications where centering and/or leveling components may bebeneficial.

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of one embodiment of a processing system100 of deposition, etching, baking, and curing chambers according toembodiments. In the figure, a pair of front opening unified pods (FOUPs)102 supply substrates of a variety of sizes that are received by roboticarms 104 and placed into a low pressure holding area 106 before beingplaced into one of the substrate processing chambers 108 a-f, positionedin tandem sections 109 a-c. A second robotic arm 110 may be used totransport the substrate wafers from the holding area 106 to thesubstrate processing chambers 108 a-f and back. Each substrateprocessing chamber 108 a-f, can be outfitted to perform a number ofsubstrate processing operations including the dry etch processesdescribed herein in addition to cyclical layer deposition (CLD), atomiclayer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapordeposition (PVD), etch, pre-clean, degas, orientation, and othersubstrate processes.

The substrate processing chambers 108 a-f may include one or more systemcomponents for depositing, annealing, curing and/or etching a dielectricor metallic film on the substrate wafer. In one configuration, two pairsof the processing chambers, e.g., 108 c-d and 108 e-f, may be used todeposit material on the substrate, and the third pair of processingchambers, e.g., 108 a-b, may be used to etch the deposited material. Inanother configuration, all three pairs of chambers, e.g., 108 a-f, maybe configured to etch a dielectric or metallic film on the substrate.Any one or more of the processes described may be carried out inchamber(s) separated from the fabrication system shown in differentembodiments. It will be appreciated that additional configurations ofdeposition, etching, annealing, and curing chambers for dielectric filmsare contemplated by system 100.

FIG. 2A shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary process chambersystem 200 with partitioned plasma generation regions within theprocessing chamber. During film etching, e.g., titanium nitride,tantalum nitride, tungsten, copper, cobalt, silicon, polysilicon,silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon oxycarbide,etc., a process gas may be flowed into the first plasma region 215through a gas inlet assembly 205. A remote plasma system (RPS) 201 mayoptionally be included in the system, and may process a first gas whichthen travels through gas inlet assembly 205. The inlet assembly 205 mayinclude two or more distinct gas supply channels where the secondchannel (not shown) may bypass the RPS 201, if included.

A cooling plate 203, faceplate 217, ion suppressor 223, showerhead 225,and a substrate support or pedestal 265, having a substrate 255 disposedthereon, are shown and may each be included according to embodiments.The pedestal 265 may have a heat exchange channel through which a heatexchange fluid flows to control the temperature of the substrate, whichmay be operated to heat and/or cool the substrate or wafer duringprocessing operations. The wafer support platter of the pedestal 265,which may comprise aluminum, ceramic, or a combination thereof, may alsobe resistively heated in order to achieve relatively high temperatures,such as from up to or about 100° C. to above or about 600° C., using anembedded resistive heater element. The pedestal 265 may include an edgering 266 positioned on a recessed ledge of the pedestal 265.

The faceplate 217 may be pyramidal, conical, or of another similarstructure with a narrow top portion expanding to a wide bottom portion.The faceplate 217 may additionally be flat as shown and include aplurality of through-channels used to distribute process gases. Plasmagenerating gases and/or plasma excited species, depending on use of theRPS 201, may pass through a plurality of holes, shown in FIG. 2B, infaceplate 217 for a more uniform delivery into the first plasma region215.

Exemplary configurations may include having the gas inlet assembly 205open into a gas supply region 258 partitioned from the first plasmaregion 215 by faceplate 217 so that the gases/species flow through theholes in the faceplate 217 into the first plasma region 215. Structuraland operational features may be selected to prevent significant backflowof plasma from the first plasma region 215 back into the supply region258, gas inlet assembly 205, and fluid supply system 210. The faceplate217, or a conductive top portion of the chamber, and showerhead 225 areshown with an insulating ring 220 located between the features, whichallows an AC potential to be applied to the faceplate 217 relative toshowerhead 225 and/or ion suppressor 223. The insulating ring 220 may bepositioned between the faceplate 217 and the showerhead 225 and/or ionsuppressor 223 enabling a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) to be formedin the first plasma region. A baffle (not shown) may additionally belocated in the first plasma region 215, or otherwise coupled with gasinlet assembly 205, to affect the flow of fluid into the region throughgas inlet assembly 205.

The ion suppressor 223 may comprise a plate or other geometry thatdefines a plurality of apertures throughout the structure that areconfigured to suppress the migration of ionically-charged species out ofthe first plasma region 215 while allowing uncharged neutral or radicalspecies to pass through the ion suppressor 223 into an activated gasdelivery region between the suppressor and the showerhead. Inembodiments, the ion suppressor 223 may comprise a perforated plate witha variety of aperture configurations. These uncharged species mayinclude highly reactive species that are transported with less reactivecarrier gas through the apertures. As noted above, the migration ofionic species through the holes may be reduced, and in some instancescompletely suppressed. Controlling the amount of ionic species passingthrough the ion suppressor 223 may advantageously provide increasedcontrol over the gas mixture brought into contact with the underlyingwafer substrate, which in turn may increase control of the depositionand/or etch characteristics of the gas mixture. For example, adjustmentsin the ion concentration of the gas mixture can significantly alter itsetch selectivity, e.g., SiNx:SiOx etch ratios, Si:SiOx etch ratios, etc.In alternative embodiments in which deposition is performed, it can alsoshift the balance of conformal-to-flowable style depositions fordielectric materials.

The plurality of apertures in the ion suppressor 223 may be configuredto control the passage of the activated gas, i.e., the ionic, radical,and/or neutral species, through the ion suppressor 223. For example, theaspect ratio of the holes, or the hole diameter to length, and/or thegeometry of the holes may be controlled so that the flow ofionically-charged species in the activated gas passing through the ionsuppressor 223 is reduced. The holes in the ion suppressor 223 mayinclude a tapered portion that faces the plasma excitation region 215,and a cylindrical portion that faces the showerhead 225. The cylindricalportion may be shaped and dimensioned to control the flow of ionicspecies passing to the showerhead 225. An adjustable electrical bias mayalso be applied to the ion suppressor 223 as an additional means tocontrol the flow of ionic species through the suppressor.

The ion suppressor 223 may function to reduce or eliminate the amount ofionically charged species traveling from the plasma generation region tothe substrate. Uncharged neutral and radical species may still passthrough the openings in the ion suppressor to react with the substrate.It should be noted that the complete elimination of ionically chargedspecies in the reaction region surrounding the substrate may not beperformed in embodiments. In certain instances, ionic species areintended to reach the substrate in order to perform the etch and/ordeposition process. In these instances, the ion suppressor may help tocontrol the concentration of ionic species in the reaction region at alevel that assists the process.

Showerhead 225 in combination with ion suppressor 223 may allow a plasmapresent in first plasma region 215 to avoid directly exciting gases insubstrate processing region 233, while still allowing excited species totravel from chamber plasma region 215 into substrate processing region233. In this way, the chamber may be configured to prevent the plasmafrom contacting a substrate 255 being etched. This may advantageouslyprotect a variety of intricate structures and films patterned on thesubstrate, which may be damaged, dislocated, or otherwise warped ifdirectly contacted by a generated plasma. Additionally, when plasma isallowed to contact the substrate or approach the substrate level, therate at which oxide species etch may increase. Accordingly, if anexposed region of material is oxide, this material may be furtherprotected by maintaining the plasma remotely from the substrate.

The processing system may further include a power supply 240electrically coupled with the processing chamber to provide electricpower to the faceplate 217, ion suppressor 223, showerhead 225, and/orpedestal 265 to generate a plasma in the first plasma region 215 orprocessing region 233. The power supply may be configured to deliver anadjustable amount of power to the chamber depending on the processperformed. Such a configuration may allow for a tunable plasma to beused in the processes being performed. Unlike a remote plasma unit,which is often presented with on or off functionality, a tunable plasmamay be configured to deliver a specific amount of power to the plasmaregion 215. This in turn may allow development of particular plasmacharacteristics such that precursors may be dissociated in specific waysto enhance the etching profiles produced by these precursors.

A plasma may be ignited either in chamber plasma region 215 aboveshowerhead 225 or substrate processing region 233 below showerhead 225.Plasma may be present in chamber plasma region 215 to produce theradical precursors from an inflow of, for example, a fluorine-containingprecursor or other precursor. An AC voltage typically in the radiofrequency (RF) range may be applied between the conductive top portionof the processing chamber, such as faceplate 217, and showerhead 225and/or ion suppressor 223 to ignite a plasma in chamber plasma region215 during deposition. An RF power supply may generate a high RFfrequency of 13.56 MHz but may also generate other frequencies alone orin combination with the 13.56 MHz frequency.

As shown in FIG. 2A, during processing the pedestal 265 may be raised sothat a top surface of the pedestal 265 and the substrate 255 supportedthereon may be raised above a pumping liner 270 of the processingchamber 200. The substrate 255 may be enveloped or surrounded by aspacer ring 280 of the processing chamber 200 for processing. The spacerring 280 and various components on or above the spacer ring 280, such asthe cooling plate 203, the faceplate 217, the ion suppressor 223, theshowerhead 225 and so on, may be assembled in a lid stack of theprocessing chamber 220, and may be centered with respect to an axis ofthe lid stack or a common axis of the various lid stack components. Thepumping liner 270 and various components below the pumping liner 270,including the pedestal 265 may be assembled in a chamber body of theprocessing chamber 200 and may be centered with respect to an axis ofthe chamber body or a common axis of the various chamber bodycomponents. During processing, the axis of the chamber body and the axisof the lid stack may be aligned such that the pedestal 265 and thesubstrate 255 supported thereon may be centered and/or parallel to thefaceplate 217, the ion suppressor 223, and/or the showerhead 225 toachieve uniform processing.

FIG. 2B shows a detailed view 253 of the features affecting theprocessing gas distribution through faceplate 217. As shown in FIGS. 2Aand 2B, faceplate 217, cooling plate 203, and gas inlet assembly 205intersect to define a gas supply region 258 into which process gases maybe delivered from gas inlet 205. The gases may fill the gas supplyregion 258 and flow to first plasma region 215 through apertures 259 infaceplate 217. The apertures 259 may be configured to direct flow in asubstantially unidirectional manner such that process gases may flowinto processing region 233, but may be partially or fully prevented frombackflow into the gas supply region 258 after traversing the faceplate217.

The gas distribution assemblies such as showerhead 225 for use in theprocessing chamber section 200 may be referred to as dual channelshowerheads (DCSH) and are additionally detailed in the embodimentsdescribed in FIG. 3. The dual channel showerhead may provide for etchingprocesses that allow for separation of etchants outside of theprocessing region 233 to provide limited interaction with chambercomponents and each other prior to being delivered into the processingregion.

The showerhead 225 may comprise an upper plate 214 and a lower plate216. The plates may be coupled with one another to define a volume 218between the plates. The coupling of the plates may be so as to providefirst fluid channels 219 through the upper and lower plates, and secondfluid channels 221 through the lower plate 216. The formed channels maybe configured to provide fluid access from the volume 218 through thelower plate 216 via second fluid channels 221 alone, and the first fluidchannels 219 may be fluidly isolated from the volume 218 between theplates and the second fluid channels 221. The volume 218 may be fluidlyaccessible through a side of the gas distribution assembly 225.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a showerhead 325 for use with a processingchamber according to embodiments. Showerhead 325 may correspond with theshowerhead 225 shown in FIG. 2A. Through-holes 365, which show a view offirst fluid channels 219, may have a plurality of shapes andconfigurations in order to control and affect the flow of precursorsthrough the showerhead 225. Small holes 375, which show a view of secondfluid channels 221, may be distributed substantially evenly over thesurface of the showerhead, even amongst the through-holes 365, and mayhelp to provide more even mixing of the precursors as they exit theshowerhead than other configurations.

FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of an apparatus 400 that includesvarious components for centering and/or leveling a pedestal of aprocessing chamber according to embodiments of the present technology.FIG. 4A illustrates that the various components of the apparatus 400 maybe placed on a component holder 405 for storage when not used forcentering and/or leveling a pedestal of a processing chamber. FIG. 4Bshows a cross-sectional view of the apparatus 400 illustrated in FIG.4A. The apparatus 400 may include a gauge mounting block 410 havingmounted thereon a set of first gauges 420 configured for leveling apedestal of a processing chamber and a set of second gauges 430configured for centering the pedestal, a centering reference plate 440,a leveling reference plate 450, a zero setter 460, and a gauge spindlecompressor 470. The set of first gauges 420 may also be referred to asthe set of leveling gauges 420, and the set of second gauges 430 mayalso be referred to as the set of the centering gauges 430.

With further reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the gauge mounting block 410may be or include an annular body 412 having a central axis. The annularbody 412 may include a sidewall 414 about the central axis and anannular ledge 416 radially extending inward from the sidewall 414 towardthe central axis. The annular ledge 416 may define a mounting platform418 on which the set of first gauges 420 and the set of second gauges430 may be mounted. As will be the described in more detail below, whenmounted, the set of first gauges 420 may be positioned radially inwardfrom the annular ledge 416 of the gauge mounting block 410 and may beoriented substantially parallel to the central axis of the gaugemounting block 410. The set of second gauges 430 may be orientedsubstantially perpendicular to the central axis of the gauge mountingblock 410, and a measuring tip 436 of each of the set of second gauges430 may extend radially beyond the sidewall 414 of the gauge mountingblock 410. The gauge mounting block 410 may further include a pair ofhandles 411.

The sidewall 414 of the gauge mounting block 410 may include a set ofreference surfaces 413. The set of reference surfaces 413 may beconfigured at 90 degree intervals from each other, but may be configuredat any other suitable intervals. Each of the set of reference surfaces413 may be controlled to be flat or substantially flat. Each of the setof reference surfaces 413 may be substantially parallel to the centralaxis of the gauge mounting block 410. The distances from the centralaxis of the gauge mounting block 410 to each of the set of referencesurfaces 413 may be controlled to be same or substantially same suchthat each of the set of reference surfaces 413 may be positioned at anequal distance from the central axis of the gauge mounting block 410.The set of reference surfaces 413 may be used to set zeros for the setof second gauges 430 as will be discussed in more detail below.

With reference to FIG. 4B, each of the set of first gauges 420 mayinclude a dial gauge which may include a gauge body 422, a compressiblespindle 424 coupled to the gauge body 422, and a measuring tip 426disposed at the end of the spindle 424. The set of first gauges 420 maybe configured to obtain measurements indicative of relative distancesbetween a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the central axisof the gauge mounting block 410 and measured points or the measuring tip426 of each of the set of first gauges 420. The measurements obtained bythe set of first gauges 420 may be transmitted to a remote computeroutside the chamber. In some embodiments, the measurements may betransmitted to the remote computer outside the chamber wirelessly. Insome embodiments, each first gauge 420 may include components that mayallow the measurements to be transmitted wirelessly to a remote computerusing Bluetooth® or other wireless technology. In some embodiments, themeasurements obtained by the set of first gauges 420 may be collected bya data collecting module or component inside the chamber, through eithera wired connection or a wireless connection with each of the firstgauges 420. The collected measurements may then be transmitted to theremote computer outside the chamber by the data collecting modulewirelessly. The data collecting module may be configured to transmit themeasurements obtained by each first gauge 420 individually or transmitthe measurements obtained by all the first gauges 420 collectively as agroup. In some embodiments, the measurements obtained by the set offirst gauges 420 may be transmitted outside the chamber to a remotecomputer using wired connections. In some embodiments, the datacollecting module may be connected to the remote computer outside thechamber via wired connections. In some embodiments, the individual firstgauges 420 may be connected to the remote computer using data wires. Insome embodiments, multiple data wires may be used to connect individualfirst gauges 420 to the remote computer. In some embodiments, the wiredconnections between the set of first gauges 420 and the remote computermay be established via a multi-wire cable, such as a multi-wire planarcable or ribbon cable.

The gauge body 422 may further include a neck portion 423 for mountingeach first gauge 420 to the gauge mounting block 410 via mounting clamps428 and a mounting bracket 429. The mounting bracket 429 may include twomounting sections that may be oriented substantially perpendicular toeach other. One of the mounting sections may be mounted to the mountingplatform 418 of the gauge mounting block 410. The neck portion 423 ofeach first gauge 420 may be held by the mounting clamps 428 to mount thefirst gauge 420 to the other one of the two perpendicularly arrangedsections of the mounting bracket 429. With this mounting configuration,each of the set of first gauges 420, or an axis thereof as defined bythe spindle 424 of each of the set of first gauges 420, may be orientedsubstantially parallel to the central axis of the gauge mounting block410. With this orientation, the set of first gauges 420 may beconfigured to determine parallelism between two planes that may besubstantially perpendicular to the central axis of the gauge mountingblock 410, such as a plane defined by a bottom surface of a plate memberin the lid stack of the processing chamber and a plane defined by thetop surface of the pedestal as will be discussed in more detail below.The measuring tip 426 may include a flat tip end so that when the set offirst gauges 420 may be used to level the pedestal, the tip end may notextend into apertures defined by the plate member, such as holes 365,375 shown in FIG. 3.

With continued reference to FIG. 4B, each of the set of second gauges430 may include a dial gauge which may include a gauge body 432, acompressible spindle 434 coupled to the gauge body 432, and a measuringtip 436 disposed at the end of the spindle 434. The set of second gauges430 may be configured to obtain measurements that may be indicative ofrelative distances between the central axis of the gauge mounting block410 and measured points or tip ends of the measuring tips 436 of the setof second gauges 430. The measurements obtained by the set of secondgauges 430 may be transmitted to a remote computer outside the chamberwirelessly and/or via wired connections, similar to the wired and/orwireless transmission of measurements by the set of first gauges 420 toa remote computer discussed above. In some embodiments, each secondgauge 430 may include components that may allow the measurements to betransmitted wirelessly to a remote computer. In some embodiments, themeasurements obtained by the set of second gauges 430 may be collectedby a data collecting module or component inside the chamber. The datacollecting module may be configured to collect and/or transmit to theremote computer measurements of each second gauge 430 individually orcollectively as a group. The data collecting module for collecting themeasurements obtained by the set of second gauges 430 may be the same asor different from the data collecting module for collecting themeasurements obtained by the set of first gauges 420. When the same datacollecting module may be used for collecting the measurements obtainedby the set of first gauges 420 and the set of second gauges 430, thedata collecting module may be configured to collect and/or transmit tothe remote computer the measurements of each first gauge 420 and eachsecond gauge 430 individually or collectively as a group. The datacollecting module may be connected to the second gauges 430 througheither a wired connection or a wireless connection. The collectedmeasurements may then be transmitted to the remote computer outside thechamber by the data collecting module wirelessly. In some embodiments,the measurements obtained by the second gauges 430 may be transmittedoutside the chamber to the remote computer using wired connections. Insome embodiments, the data collecting module may be connected to theremote computer using wired connections. In some embodiments, data wiresmay be used to connect individual second gauges 430 to the remotecomputer. In some embodiments, a multi-wire cable, such as a multi-wireplanar cable or ribbon cable, may be used to connect the set of secondgauges 430 with the remote computer. The set of the second gauges 430and the set of the first gauges 420 may be connected to the remotecomputer using a common multi-wire cable or different multi-wire cables.

Wirelessly transmitting the measurements obtained the set of firstgauges 420 and/or the set of second gauges 430 may facilitate centeringand/or leveling the pedestal under vacuum as will be discussed in moredetail below. However, by selecting and/or configuring the wiredconnections appropriately, centering and/or leveling the pedestal undervacuum may also be achieved. Other various data transmission methods andcomponents may be implemented for transmitting the measurements taken bythe set of first gauges 420 and/or the second gauges 430 to the remotecomputer wirelessly or through wired connections.

Mounting clamps 428 may be used to hold a neck portion 433 of each ofthe set of second gauges 430 to mount each of the set of second gauges430 to the mounting platform 418 above one reference surface 413 of theset of reference surfaces 413. When mounted, each of the set of secondgauges 430, or an axis thereof as defined by the spindle 434 of each ofthe set of second gauges 430, may be oriented substantiallyperpendicular to the reference surface 413 below. The measuring tip 436of each of the set of second gauges 430 may extend radially beyond thereference surface 413 below. As discussed above, the set of referencesurfaces 413 may be substantially parallel to the central axis of thegauge mounting block 410. Accordingly, the set of second gauges 430 maybe oriented perpendicular to the central axis of the gauge mountingblock 410 and perpendicular to the orientation of the set of firstgauges 420. With such configuration, the set of second gauges 430 may beconfigured to determine axial alignment between two members, such as aring member in the lid stack of the processing chamber and the pedestalas will be discussed in more detail below. The measuring tip 436 mayinclude a roller tip so that when the set of second gauges 430 may beused to centering the pedestal as will be discussed below, the measuringtips 436 of the set of second gauges 430 may slide along surfaces ofvarious components inside the processing chamber without being caught inthe gaps between the various components.

The set of first gauges 420 may include three of the first gauges 420.The set of second gauges 430 may include four of the second gauges 430.The first gauges 420 and the second gauges 430 may be mounted in analternating manner. The four second gauges 430 may be mounted on thegauge mounting block 410 at about 90 degree intervals. The first gauges420 may each be mounted between two adjacent second gauges 430 and alsoat about 90 degree intervals. Although three first gauges 420 and foursecond gauges 430 are described as examples, the apparatus 400 mayinclude more than three first gauges 420, and/or the apparatus 400 mayinclude three or more than four second gauges 430. The first and secondgauges 420, 430 may be spaced apart by any degrees of intervals. Thefirst and/or second gauges 420, 430 may be spaced apart by same ordifferent degrees of intervals. The first and second gauges 420, 430 maybe arranged in a non-alternating manner or arranged in any order orsequence.

With further reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the centering reference plate440 may include a raised portion that may be characterized by a surface442 that may be controlled to be flat or substantially flat. The surface442 may be used to set zero of each of the set of second gauges 430 aswill be discussed in more detail below. The centering reference plate440 may be releasably attached or mounted onto the mounting platform 418of the gauge mounting block 410 using fasteners or other securingmechanism. In some embodiments, a tether 444 may be used to preventaccidental loss of the centering reference plate 440. A length of thetether 444 may be configured to allow the centering reference plate 440to reach each of the set of second gauges 430 for zeroing the secondgauges. The centering reference plate 440 may include grooves 446 forwrapping the tether 444. The mounting platform 418 may define a recess448 for receiving the raised portion of the centering reference plate440. The recess 448 may be characterized by a depth dimension such that,when the raised portion of the centering reference plate 440 may bereceived within the recess 448, the surface 442 of the centeringreference plate 440 may be suspended from a floor of the recess 448 toavoid damages to the surface 442 and to maintain the flatness thereof.

With reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the levelling reference plate 450 mayinclude or be a thin, circular plate, although the leveling referenceplate 450 may take any other suitable shape. The leveling referenceplate 450 may be used with the zero setter 460 to set zero for each ofthe set of first gauges 420 as will be discussed in more detail below.The leveling reference plate 450 may include a first side 502 and asecond side 504 opposite to the first side 502. The first side 502 maydefine a first surface 505, and the second side 504 may define a secondsurface 510. The first surface 505 and the second surface 510 may becontrolled to be flat or substantially flat such that a high degree ofparallelism between the first surface 505 and the second surface 510 maybe achieved. The flatness of the first surface 505 and second surface510 and the parallelism therebetween may facilitate leveling a pedestalof a processing chamber as will be discussed in more detail below.

The first side 502 may further include a pair of first protrusions orbosses 515 a and a pair of second protrusions 520 a, 520 b. The pair offirst protrusions 515 a, 515 b and the pair of second protrusions 520 a,520 b may have the same or substantially the same height to support theleveling reference plate 450 on a supporting surface when the levelingreference plate 450 may not be used. For example, when the levelingreference plate 450 may be stored, the leveling reference plate 450 maybe supported by the pair of first protrusions 515 a, 515 b and the pairof second protrusions 520 a, 520 b on a supporting surface 445 of thecomponent holder 405 as shown in FIG. 4B. With this configuration, thefirst surface 505 of the leveling reference plate 450 may face thesupporting surface 445 of the component holder 405 but may not be incontact with the supporting surface 445. Any scratches or other damageto the first surface 505 may be minimized or prevented, and the flatnessor substantial flatness of the first side 502 may be maintained. Thepair of first protrusions 515 a, 515 b may each define a through hole517 a, 517 b through which fasteners, such as bolt fasteners, may beplaced for securing the leveling reference plate 450 to the componentholder 405. To prevent any scratches or other damage to the secondsurface 510 that may be caused by the fasteners, the second side 504 mayinclude two recesses 518 a, 518 b configured to receive the head of thebolt fasteners such that the flatness of the second surface 510 may bemaintained.

The pair of first protrusions 515 a, 515 b may be positioned adjacent aperiphery of the leveling reference plate 450. The pair of firstprotrusions 515 a, 515 b may be positioned diametrically or diagonallyopposite to each other at the circumferential edge of the levelingreference plate 450, such as shown in FIG. 5A, but may be positioned atother suitable locations. The pair of second protrusions 520 a, 520 bmay be positioned relatively closer to the center of the levelingreference plate 450. The pair of second protrusions 520 a, 520 b may bediametrically or diagonally positioned to each other, such as shown inFIG. 5A, but may be positioned at any suitable location on the firstside 502. The pair of second protrusions 520 a, 520 b may be radiallyaligned with the pair of first protrusions 515 a, 515 b, such as shownin FIG. 5A, but may not be radially aligned with the pair of firstprotrusions 515 a, 515 b in other embodiments. The pair of secondprotrusions 520 a, 520 b may support the weight of the zero setter 460that may be placed at a central region of the leveling reference plate450 during storage, such as shown in FIG. 4B. The pair of secondprotrusions 520 a, 520 b may each define an through hole 522 a, 522 b.The through holes 522 a, 522 b may be configured to align with twothrough holes of the zero setter 460, as will be discussed in moredetail below, such that two fasteners may be placed through the throughholes 522 a, 522 b and the through holes of the zero setter 460 forsecuring the zero setter 460 on the leveling reference plate 450 and thecomponent holder 405 as shown in FIG. 4B.

The leveling reference plate 450 may define a pair of openings 525 a,525 b and a center through hole 530. As will be discussed in more detailbelow, the center through hole 530 may be utilized by an operator tovisually determine the placement of the leveling reference plate 450 onthe pedestal, and the pair of openings 525 a, 525 b may be configured toreceive a pair of protrusions of the zero setter 460, as will bediscussed below, when the leveling reference plate 450 and the zerosetter 460 may be used for leveling the pedestal of the processingchamber.

Although a pair of first protrusions 515 a, 515 b, a pair of secondprotrusions 520 a, 520 b, and a pair of openings 525 a, 525 b aredescribed as examples, the leveling reference plate 450 may include oneor more than two first protrusion 515, one or more than two secondprotrusions, one or more than two openings 525 in various embodiments.

The second side 504 of the leveling reference plate 450 does not includeprotrusions such that when the leveling reference plate 450 may beplaced on the pedestal, the second side 504 of the leveling referenceplate 450 may face and be in direct contact with the pedestal forleveling the pedestal as will be discussed in more detail below. Becausethe leveling reference plate 450 may be placed on and in direct contactwith the top surface of the pedestal, to protect the pedestal, theleveling reference plate 450 may be made of a relatively soft material.In some embodiments, the leveling reference plate 450 may be made ofplastic, such as any thermoplastics including polyetherimide, polyetherether ketone, among other polymerized materials, but other material thatmay be softer than the pedestal material may be used.

With reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the zero setter 460 may include acylindrical body 610 and a plate member 630 supported by the cylindricalbody 610 when the zero setter 460 may be placed on the levelingreference plate 450 during storage or usage. In some embodiments, thecylindrical body 610 and the plate member 630 may be formed as a unitarybody, and the cylindrical body 610 may transition to the plate member630 via a tapered portion 650. The zero setter 460 and the levelingreference plate 450 may be configured to set zero for each of the set offirst gauges 420 as will be discussed in more detail below.

With further reference to FIG. 6B, the cylindrical body 610 may includea first or bottom side 611. The first side may include a first or bottomsurface 614, a pair of protrusions 612 a, 612 b extending from the firstsurface 614, and a pair of recesses 616 a, 616 b formed in the firstsurface 614. The first surface 614 of the cylindrical body 610 may becontrolled to be flat or substantial flat. The pair of protrusions 612a, 612 b may be configured to be received in the pair of openings 525 a,525 b of the leveling reference plate 450 when the zero setter 460 maybe placed on the first surface 505 of the leveling reference plate 450for zeroing the set of first gauges 420 for leveling the pedestal aswill be discussed in more detail below. Each of the pair of protrusions612 a, 612 b may be characterized by a height dimension that may be lessthan a thickness dimension of the leveling reference plate 450 definedby the first surface 505 and the second surface 510 of the levelingreference plate 450. With this configuration, when the pair ofprotrusions 612 a, 612 b of the zero setter 460 may be received in thepair of openings 525 a, 525 b of the leveling reference plate 450, theprotrusions 612 may not extend beyond the second surface 510 of theleveling reference plate 450 so as to prevent the protrusions 612 fromscratching the pedestal surface. When the zero setter 460 may bepositioned on the first surface 505 of the leveling reference plate 450,the pair of second protrusions 520 a, 520 b on the first surface 505 ofthe leveling reference plate 450 may be received in the pair of recesses616 a, 616 b of the zero setter 460.

The pair of protrusions 612 a, 612 b may each be formed with a throughhole 618 a, 618 b that may be aligned with one of the through hole 522a, 522 b formed in the leveling reference plate 450. When the levelingreference plate 450 and the zero setter 460 may be stored, the zerosetter 460 may be placed on the second surface 510 of the levelingreference plate 450 with the through holes 618 a, 618 b of the zerosetter 460 aligned with the through holes 522 a, 522 b of the levelingreference plate 450. Fasteners may then be placed in the through holes618 a, 618 b and the through holes 522 a, 522 b from a second side 620of the zero setter 460 as shown in FIG. 6C to secure the zero setter 460to the leveling reference plate 450 and the component holder 405 asshown in FIG. 4B. During storage, because zero setter 460 may besupported by the pair of protrusions 612 a, 612 b on the second surface510 of the leveling reference plate 450, the first surface 614 of thecylindrical body 610 of the zero setter 460 and the second surface 510of the leveling reference plate 450 may not contact each other. Theflatness or substantial flatness of the first surface 614 of thecylindrical body 610 and the second surface 510 may be maintained tofacilitate leveling the pedestal as will be discussed in more detailbelow.

Although pairs of protrusions 612 a, 612 b and recesses 616 a, 616 b aredescribed as exemplary configurations, the cylindrical body 610 may beconfigured with more or fewer number of protrusions 612 and/or recesses616. The leveling reference plate 450 and the zero setter 460 may beformed with any number of protrusions 612 and corresponding openings525, any number of second protrusions 520 and corresponding recesses616, and/or any corresponding number of through holes 522, 618.

With further reference to FIG. 6B, the plate member 630 may include afirst or bottom surface 632. The first surface 632 of the plate member630 may be controlled to be flat or substantially flat. The zero setter460 may be configured such that the first surface 632 of the platemember 630 may be parallel or substantially parallel to the firstsurface 614 of the cylindrical body 610. The flatness or substantialflatness of the first surface 632 of the plate member 630 and the firstsurface 614 of the cylindrical body 610 and the parallelism orsubstantial parallelism therebetween may facilitate zeroing the set offirst gauges. When the zero setter 460 may be placed on the levelingreference plate 450 for zeroing the set of first gauges, the zero setter460 may be placed on the second surface 510 of the leveling referenceplate 450, and the first surface 632 of the plate member 630 may facethe second surface 510 and the pedestal as will be discussed in moredetail below.

With reference to FIG. 7A, the gauge spindle compressor 470 may includean annular member 710 and two handles 730 (only one shown in FIG. 7A).The annular member 710 may include a first or upper surface 712 and asecond or lower surface 714 opposite to the first surface 712. The gaugespindle compressor 470 may further define two recesses 716 (only oneshown in FIG. 7A) in the first surface 712 of the annular member 710.The handles 730 may be received in the recesses 716 and secured to afloor of each of the recesses 716, and the handles 730 may not protrudebeyond the first surface 712 of the annular member 710. Although tworecesses 716 and two handles 730 are described as examples, any numberof recesses and/or handles may be included in various embodiments.

With reference to FIG. 7B, the annular member 710 may further include athird or outer surface 718 and a fourth or tapered inner surface 720.The tapered inner surface 720 may be configured to be tapered outwardlytoward the second surface 714 of the annular member 710. The taperedinner surface 720 may be configured to compress the set of second gauges430 when the gauge spindle compressor 470 may be positioned inside theprocessing chamber for centering and/or leveling the pedestal as will bediscussed in more detail below. The annular member 710 may furtherinclude a fifth or non-tapered surface portion 722 that may be alignedwith an inner surface of a ring member in a lid stack of the processingchamber as will be discussed in more detail below.

FIG. 8 illustrates exemplary operations in a method 800 for centeringand/or leveling a pedestal of a processing chamber, which will bedescribed in conjunction with the illustrations in FIGS. 9A-9H. Method800 may use various components of the apparatus 400 described above tocenter and/or level the pedestal. The processing chamber may be similarto the exemplary processing chamber 200 described above with referenceto FIG. 2A. The processing chamber may include a chamber body and a lidstack. The lid stack may be configured to be opened and closed relativeto the chamber body such that a pressure inside the processing chambercan be reduced toward vacuum when the lid stack may be closed. Thepedestal may be positioned inside the chamber body. The lid stack mayinclude one or more plate members, such as faceplate, showerhead, orother gas distribution assembly. The lid stack may further include oneor more cylindrical members, such as a spacer ring member that may be incontact with the chamber body when the lid stack may be closed.

At operation 805, method 800 may begin by zeroing the set of secondgauges 430, also referred to as the set of centering gauges 430. Withreference to FIG. 9A, the surface 442 of the centering reference plate440 may be brought into contact with one reference surface 413 of theset of reference surfaces 413 to zero the second gauge 430 positionedabove the one reference surface 413. As mentioned above, the measuringtip 436 of each of the set of second gauges 430 may be configured toextend radially beyond the reference surface 413 below. Consequently,when the surface 442 of the centering reference plate 440 may contactthe reference surface 413, the surface 442 of the centering referenceplate 440 may also contact the measuring tip 436 (blocked from view bythe centering reference plate 440) of the second gauge 430 above thereference surface 413 and may compress the spindle 434 (blocked fromview by the centering reference plate 440) of the second gauge 430. Thesecond gauge 430 may be set to read zero while being compressed by thereference surface 413. The same operation may be performed for eachsecond gauge 430 of the set of second gauges 430.

Once the set of second gauges 430 may be zeroed, measurements madethereafter may represent distances between measured points and thereference surface 413 below the second gauge 430 taking themeasurements. As discussed above, the set of reference surfaces 413 maybe controlled such that each reference surface 413 of the set ofreference surfaces 413 may be positioned at an equal distance from thecentral axis of the gauge mounting block 410. Consequently, themeasurement may indicate relative distances between the measured pointsand the central axis of the gauge mounting block 410. As will bediscussed in more detail below, the gauge mounting block 410 may beplaced on a pedestal such that the central axis of the gauge mountingblock 410 may be aligned with the central axis of the pedestal.Consequently, the measurements may also be indicative of relativedistances between the measured points and the central axis of thepedestal.

At operation 810, the leveling reference plate 450 may be placed on thepedestal 910 inside a chamber body 920 of a processing chamber as shownin FIG. 9B. The center through hole 530 of the leveling reference plate450 may be used to visually position the leveling reference plate 450 atabout a center location on the pedestal 910. Before operation 810, thelid stack (not shown in FIG. 9B) of the processing chamber may beopened, and a pumping liner, similar to the pumping liner 270 discussedabove with reference to FIG. 2A, may be removed from the chamber body920. An edge ring of the pedestal 910, similar to the edge ring 266discussed above with reference to FIG. 2A, may also be removed from thepedestal 910 such that the gauge mounting block 410 may be subsequentlyplaced on a recessed ledge 914 of the pedestal 910. A pumping channel930, on which the pumping liner may rest during substrate processing, isshown in FIG. 9B.

When placed on the pedestal 910, the second surface 510 of the levelingreference plate 450 may face and be in direct contact with the pedestal910. As discussed above, the second surface 510 may be controlled to beflat or substantially flat, and the first surface 505 of the levelingreference plate 450 may be controlled to be flat or substantially flatand to be parallel or substantially parallel to the second surface 510.Consequently, the first surface 505 may be parallel or substantiallyparallel to a top surface 912 of the pedestal 910.

At operation 815, the gauge mounting block 410 may be placed on thepedestal 910 as shown in FIG. 9C. The gauge mounting block 410 may reston the recessed ledge 914 of the pedestal 910. The recessed ledge 914may define a number of recesses, such as three, for receiving acorresponding number of locating pins at a bottom surface of the edgering for positioning the edge ring on the pedestal 910. The gaugemounting block 410 may include a corresponding number of locating pinsprotruding from a bottom surface of the sidewall 414 of the gaugemounting block 410. One such locating pin 415 can be seen in FIG. 9Aprotruding from a bottom surface of the sidewall 414. The locating pinsof the gauge mounting block 410 may be positioned in a spatialrelationship substantially the same as the locating pins of the edgering such that they may be received in the recesses defined by therecessed ledge 914 of the pedestal 910, and the gauge mounting block 410may be supported by the recessed ledge 914 of the pedestal 910. Further,the locating pins of the gauge mounting block 410 may be positioned atappropriate locations at the bottom surface of the sidewall 414 suchthat when the gauge mounting block 410 may be placed on the recessedledge 914 of the pedestal 910, the central axis of the gauge mountingblock 410 and a central axis of the pedestal 910 may be aligned.

When the gauge mounting block 410 may be placed on the pedestal 910,other than the bottom surface of the sidewall 414, other surfaces orcomponents of the gauge mounting block 410 may not be in direct contactwith the pedestal 910. Generally, contact between the various componentsof the apparatus 400 and the chamber components may be controlled orminimized so as to protect the chamber components from being rubbed orscratched, which may generate particles that can contaminate substratesprocessed in the chamber. To achieve this, an outer diameter of thesidewall 414 of the gauge mounting block 410 may be configured to beless than an inner diameter of the pumping channel 930 as shown in FIG.9F. With this configuration, a gap may exist between the sidewall 414and the pumping channel 930 when the gauge mounting block 410 may beplaced on the pedestal 910, and an outer surface of the sidewall 414 maynot contact the pumping channel 930 or other components of theprocessing chamber. An inner diameter of the sidewall 414 may beconfigured to be greater than an outer diameter of a substratesupporting platter 916 such that an inner surface of the sidewall 414may not contact a side surface 918 of the pedestal 910. As shown in FIG.9E, the set of first gauges 420 may be mounted such that when the gaugemounting block 410 may be placed on the pedestal 910, a gap may existbetween the set of first gauges 420 and the pedestal 910 to prevent theset of first gauges 420 from contacting the top surface 912 of thepedestal 910.

At operation 820, the zero setter 460 may be placed on the levelingreference plate 450 as shown in FIG. 9D. With reference to FIG. 9E, thefirst surface 614 of the cylindrical body 610 of the zero setter 460 mayrest on and be in direct contact with the first surface 505 of theleveling reference plate 450. The pair of protrusions 612 of the zerosetter 460 may be placed inside the pair of openings 525 of the levelingreference plate 450. As discussed above, the thickness of the levelingreference plate 450 as defined by the first surface 505 and the secondsurface 510 of the leveling reference plate 450 may be greater than theheight of the pair of protrusions 612. Accordingly, the pair ofprotrusions 612 may not extend beyond the second surface 510 of theleveling reference plate 450, and thus may not touch the top surface 912of the pedestal 910 to prevent any damage to the pedestal 910.

Because the first surface 614 of the cylindrical body 610 of the zerosetter 460 may rest on and be in direct contact with the first surface505 of the leveling reference plate 450, and because the first surface505 of the leveling reference plate 450 may be parallel or substantiallyparallel to the top surface 912 of the pedestal 910, the first surface614 of the cylindrical body 610 may be parallel or substantiallyparallel to the top surface 912 of the pedestal 910. Because the firstsurface 632 of the plate member 630 may be controlled to be parallel orsubstantially parallel to the first surface 614 of the cylindrical body610, the first surface 632 of the plate member 630 may be parallel orsubstantially parallel to the top surface 912 of the pedestal 910.

At operation 825, the set of first gauges 420, also referred to as theset of leveling gauges 420, may be zeroed using the zero setter 460 asshown in FIG. 9E. When the zero setter 460 may be placed on the levelingreference plate 450, the spindle 424 of each of the set of first gauges420 may be compressed by the first surface 632 of the plate member 630of the zero setter 460. The zero setter 460 may be held in place by itsweight or other mechanism so as to maintain the parallelism between thefirst surface 632 of the plate member 630 and the first surface 505 ofthe leveling reference plate 450. While the spindles 424 may becompressed by the zero setter 460, the set of first gauges 420 may bezeroed with respect to the first surface 632 of the plate member 630 ofthe zero setter 460. Because the first surface 632 of the plate member630 may be parallel or substantially parallel to the top surface 912 ofthe pedestal 910, once the set of first gauges 420 may be zeroed,measurements made thereafter may indicate relative distances betweenmeasured points and the top surface 912 of the pedestal 910. Thedifference among the readings by the set of first gauges 420 mayindicate a degree of parallelism between the top surface 912 of thepedestal 910 and a plane defined by the measured points. After zeroingthe set of first gauges 420, the zero setter 460 may be removed.

At operation 830, the gauge spindle compressor 470 may be placed on thepumping channel 930 as shown in FIG. 9F. Referring back to FIG. 9C, theset of second gauges 430 may be mounted on the gauge mounting block 410such that the measuring tips 436 of the set of second gauges 430 may bepositioned above the pumping channel 930. Specifically, the measuringtips 436 may extend radially further outward than an inner surface ofthe pumping channel 930 but may not extend radially beyond an outersurface of the pumping channel 930. Consequently, when the gauge spindlecompressor 470 may be positioned onto the pumping channel 930 as shownin FIG. 9F, the spindles 434 of the set of second gauges 430 may becompressed gradually by the tapered inner surface 720 as the rollers ofthe measuring tips 436 may glide along the tapered inner surface 720 ofthe gauge spindle compressor 470. By compressing the spindles 434 of theset of second gauges 430, the length of the spindles 434 may be reducedfor subsequent entry into a region defined by a spacer ring 940 of theprocessing chamber as shown in FIG. 9G.

As shown in FIG. 9F, an outer diameter of the gauge spindle compressor470 as defined by the outer surface 718 of the gauge spindle compressor470 may be substantially the same as or similar to an inner diameter ofthe chamber body 920 defined by the portion of the inner surface of thechamber body 920 that may surround the gauge spindle compressor 470.Consequently, the gauge spindle compressor 470 may not shift relative tothe pumping channel 930 when the gauge spindle compressor 470 maycompress the spindles 434 of the second gauges 430. To facilitate theentry into the region defined by the spacer ring 940, the non-taperedsurface portion 722 of the gauge spindle compressor 470 may beconfigured with an inner diameter such that the non-tapered surfaceportion 722 may be aligned with an inner surface of the spacer ring 940as shown in FIG. 9G. The rollers of the measuring tips 436 of the set ofsecond gauges 430 may also prevent the measuring tips 436 from beingcaught in the gap between the spacer ring 940 and the gauge spindlecompressor 470. Once the gauge spindle compressor 470 may be placed onthe pumping channel 930 inside the chamber body 920, the lid stack maybe closed, and the chamber may be pumped down to vacuum.

At operation 835, the pedestal 910 may be raised or translate upwardsuch that the measuring tips 426 of the set of first gauges 420 maycontact and be compressed by a plate member 950 in the lid stack asshown in FIG. 9G, and the pedestal 910 may be leveled based onmeasurements by the set of first gauges 420. As discussed above, themeasuring tips 426 of the set of first gauges 420 may be flat to ensurethat they may not enter into any apertures defined by the plate member950, but may press against a bottom surface 960 of the plate member 950.The plate member 950 may be the lowest positioned plate member 950 inthe lid stack. Depending on the chamber configuration, the plate member950 may be or include a gas distribution member or plate, such as afaceplate, showerhead, or other gas distribution assembly. At operation835, the set of second gauges 430 may also enter into the region definedby the spacer ring 940 of the lid stack.

As discussed above, the difference among the measurements or readings bythe set of first gauges 420 may indicate a degree of parallelism betweenthe top surface 912 of the pedestal 910 and a plane defined by themeasured points. When the gauge spindles 424 may be compressed by thebottom surface 960 of the plate member 950, the difference among themeasurements by the set of first gauges 420 may indicate a degree ofparallelism between the top surface 912 of the pedestal 910 and thebottom surface 960 of the plate member 950. The measurements or readingsmay be transmitted wirelessly or via wired connections to a remotedevice, such as mobile phone, tablet, laptop, and so on, outside thechamber. An operator may then adjust the orientation and/or tilt of thepedestal 910 using levelling adjustment screws of the pedestal 910 untilall readings obtained by the set of first gauges 420 may read the same,indicating the top surface 912 of the pedestal 910 may be parallel orsubstantially parallel to the bottom surface 960 of the plate member950. Accordingly, the pedestal 910 or the top surface 912 thereof may beleveled with respect to the plate member 950 or the bottom surface 960thereof.

Once the pedestal 910 may be leveled, the pedestal 910 may be lowered tocreate a gap or clearance between the measuring tips 436 of the set ofsecond gauges 430 and the bottom surface 960 of the plate member 950 asshown in FIG. H, while the measuring tips 436 of the set of secondgauges 430 may still press against the inner surface of the spacer ring940. With this clearance, the bottom surface 960 may be protected frombeing scratched by movement of the gauge mounting block 410 and/or themeasuring tips 436 of the set of second gauges 430 during the subsequentcentering operation 840 based on the readings from the set of secondgauges 430.

At operation 840, the pedestal 910 may be centered based on the readingsfrom the set of second gauges 430, which may be transmitted wirelesslyor via wired connections outside the chamber to the remote device. Asdiscussed above, the set of second gauges 430 may include four secondgauges 430, spaced apart by 90 degrees. Stated differently, the set ofsecond gauges 430 include two pairs of diagonally positioned secondgauges 430. As also discussed above, the readings or measurements bysecond gauges 430 may be indicative of the relative distances betweenthe measured points and the central axis of the pedestal 910.Consequently, when the operator adjust the centering adjustment screwsof the pedestal 910 so that the readings of two diagonally oppositesecond gauges 430 may be adjusted to be the same, the pedestal 910 maybe centered or co-axially aligned with the spacer ring 940 in the lidstack.

In some embodiments, the pedestal 910 may include four centeringadjustment screws. Each of the four second gauges 430 may besubstantially vertically aligned with one of the four centeringadjustment screws. Such vertical alignment between the centeringadjustment screws and the set of second gauges 430 may result in adirect correspondence between changes in the readings of the secondgauges 430 and adjustments made by the screws, which can be easier foran operator to center the pedestal 910. However, any appropriate numberof the second gauges 430 may be employed, and the second gauges 430 maynot be aligned with the centering adjustment screws of the pedestal 910.

Once the pedestal 910 may be centered and/or leveled, the pedestal 910may be lowered. The pressure of the processing chamber may be brought toatmosphere, and the lid stack may be opened. The gauge mounting block410, the gauge spindle compressor 470, and the leveling reference plate450 may be removed from the processing chamber, and the pumping linermay be placed back inside the processing chamber.

Testing has shown that once a pedestal of a processing chamber may becentered and/or leveled using the apparatus 400 and/or method 800described herein, the axial alignment between the pedestal and lid stackcomponents and/or the parallelism between the pedestal and the lid stackcomponents may be maintained, even though the chamber may be opened toremove the apparatus 400. Although the centering and/or levelingoperations may be performed under vacuum, the centering and/or levelingoperations may also be performed without reducing the pressure insidethe chamber, such as under atmospheric conditions.

In the preceding description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousdetails have been set forth in order to provide an understanding ofvarious embodiments of the present technology. It will be apparent toone skilled in the art, however, that certain embodiments may bepracticed without some of these details, or with additional details.

Having disclosed several embodiments, it will be recognized by those ofskill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of theembodiments. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elementshave not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thepresent technology. Accordingly, the above description should not betaken as limiting the scope of the technology. Additionally, methods orprocesses may be described as sequential or in steps, but it is to beunderstood that the operations may be performed concurrently, or indifferent orders than listed.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the smallest fraction of the unit of the lowerlimit, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upperand lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Anynarrower range between any stated values or unstated intervening valuesin a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in thatstated range is encompassed. The upper and lower limits of those smallerranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and eachrange where either, neither, or both limits are included in the smallerranges is also encompassed within the technology, subject to anyspecifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated rangeincludes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both ofthose included limits are also included.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”,and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a precursor” includes aplurality of such precursors, and reference to “the layer” includesreference to one or more layers and equivalents thereof known to thoseskilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the words “comprise(s)”, “comprising”, “contain(s)”, “containing”,“include(s)”, and “including”, when used in this specification and inthe following claims, are intended to specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, components, or operations, but they do not precludethe presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,components, operations, acts, or groups.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: an annularmounting block having a central axis, a sidewall about the central axis,and a mounting platform extending radially inward from the sidewalltoward the central axis; a plurality of first gauges mounted on themounting platform such that the plurality of first gauges are orientedsubstantially parallel to the central axis, the plurality of firstgauges configured to obtain a first plurality of measurements indicativeof relative distances between a plane that is substantiallyperpendicular to the central axis of the annular mounting block andmeasured points; and a plurality of second gauges mounted on themounting platform such that the plurality of second gauges are orientedsubstantially perpendicular to the central axis and a measuring tip ofeach second gauge of the plurality of second gauges extends radiallybeyond the sidewall of the annular mounting block, the plurality ofsecond gauges configured to obtain a second plurality of measurementsindicative of relative distances between the central axis of the annularmounting block and measured points.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe plurality of first gauges comprise at least three dial gauges, andwherein the plurality of second gauges comprise at least three dialgauges.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a measuring tip of eachfirst gauge of the plurality of first gauges comprises a flat tip, andwherein the measuring tip of each second gauge of the plurality ofsecond gauges comprises a roller tip.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the sidewall of the annular mounting block is characterized by aplurality of reference surfaces, wherein each reference surface of theplurality of reference surfaces is substantially parallel to the centralaxis of the annular mounting block and positioned at an equal distancefrom the central axis of the annular mounting block, and wherein eachsecond gauge of the plurality of second gauges is mounted above onereference surface of the plurality of reference surfaces such that themeasuring tip of each second gauge of the plurality of second gaugesextends radially beyond the reference surface of the plurality ofreference surfaces below.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising a reference plate having a raised portion characterized by aflat surface, wherein the reference plate is releasably attached to themounting platform of the annular mounting block, wherein the annularmounting block defines a recess such that, when the reference plate isattached to the annular mounting block, the raised portion of thereference plate is received within the recess of the annular mountingblock, and the flat surface faces a floor of the recess and is suspendedfrom the floor of the recess.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising a gauge spindle compressor positionable about the centralaxis of the annular mounting block and defining a tapered inner surface,wherein the tapered inner surface is configured to compress a gaugespindle of each second gauge of the plurality of second gauges when thegauge spindle compressor is positioned about the central axis of theannular mounting block and the annular mounting block translates alongthe central axis of the annular mounting block.
 7. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising: a leveling reference plate characterizedby: a first surface; a second surface opposite to the first surface; anda plurality of openings; a zero setter comprising: a cylindrical bodyhaving a plurality of protrusions extending from a first surface of thecylindrical body, wherein each protrusion of the plurality ofprotrusions of the zero setter is configured to be received in anopening of the plurality of openings of the leveling reference plate,and wherein each protrusion of the plurality of protrusions ischaracterized by a height dimension less than a thickness dimension ofthe leveling reference plate defined by the first surface and the secondsurface of the leveling reference plate such that the plurality ofprotrusions do not extend beyond the second surface of the levelingreference plate when the plurality of protrusions of the zero setter arereceived in the plurality of openings of the leveling reference plate;and a plate member supported by the cylindrical body, wherein when theplurality of protrusions of the zero setter are received in theplurality of openings of the leveling reference plate, the zero setteris supported by the leveling reference plate such that a first surfaceof the plate member of the zero setter is parallel to the first surfaceof the leveling reference plate.
 8. A method comprising: collecting, viaa plurality of first dial gauges, a first set of measurements indicativeof relative distances between a plurality of locations at a gasdistribution member of a semiconductor processing chamber and a topsurface of a pedestal of the semiconductor processing chamber; andadjusting the pedestal to a first position based on the first set ofmeasurements such that the top surface of the pedestal is substantiallyparallel to a bottom surface of the gas distribution member.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, further comprising: reducing a pressure inside thesemiconductor processing chamber toward vacuum prior to collecting thefirst set of measurements.
 10. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: raising the pedestal to position a flat tip of a gaugespindle of each first dial gauge of the plurality of first dial gaugesin contact with the bottom surface of the gas distribution member. 11.The method of claim 8, further comprising: zeroing the plurality offirst dial gauges with respect to the top surface of the pedestal. 12.The method of claim 8, further comprising: collecting, via a pluralityof second dial gauges, a second set of measurements indicative ofrelative distances between a plurality of locations at a ring member ofthe semiconductor processing chamber and a central axis of the pedestal;and adjusting the pedestal to a second position based on the second setof measurements such that the central axis of the pedestal and a centralaxis of the ring member are aligned.
 13. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising: placing a gauge spindle compressor inside a chamber body ofthe semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the gauge spindlecompressor comprises a tapered inner surface; and raising the pedestalto cause a roller tip of a gauge spindle of each second dial gauge ofthe plurality of second dial gauges to slide along the tapered innersurface and pass the tapered inner surface until the roller tip of thegauge spindle of each second dial gauge of the plurality of second dialgauges is positioned against an inner surface of the ring member of thesemiconductor processing chamber.
 14. The method of claim 12, whereinthe plurality of first dial gauges and the plurality of second dialgauges are mounted on a mounting block, the method further comprising:placing the mounting block around the pedestal, wherein the mountingblock comprises a plurality of protrusions to be received inside aplurality of recesses at the pedestal such that, when the mounting blockis placed around the pedestal, a central axis of the mounting block andthe central axis of the pedestal are aligned.
 15. An apparatuscomprising: a gauge mounting block; a plurality of first gauges mountedon the gauge mounting block, the plurality of first gauges configured toobtain measurements indicative of a degree of parallelism between afirst component of a lid stack of a semiconductor processing chamber anda pedestal of the semiconductor processing chamber; and a plurality ofsecond gauges mounted on the gauge mounting block, the plurality ofsecond gauges configured to obtain measurements indicative of a degreeof axial alignment between a second component of the lid stack and thepedestal.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the semiconductorprocessing chamber further comprises a chamber body, wherein the lidstack is configured to be opened and closed relative to the chamber bodysuch that a pressure inside the semiconductor processing chamber can bereduced toward vacuum when the lid stack is closed, wherein theplurality of first gauges are configured to obtain the measurementsindicative of the degree of parallelism between the first component ofthe lid stack and the pedestal under vacuum, and wherein the pluralityof second gauges are configured to obtain the measurements indicative ofthe degree of axial alignment between the second component of the lidstack and the pedestal under vacuum.
 17. The apparatus of claim 15,wherein the gauge mounting block include a central axis, a sidewallabout the central axis, and a mounting platform extending radiallyinward from the sidewall toward the central axis, wherein the pluralityof first gauges and the plurality of second gauges are mounted on themounting platform, and wherein the plurality of second gauges areoriented substantially perpendicular to the plurality of first gauges.18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a gauge spindlecompressor configured to be positioned about a central axis of thepedestal, wherein the gauge spindle compressor comprises a tapered innersurface configured to engage and compress a roller tip of each secondgauge of the plurality of second gauges.
 19. The apparatus of claim 15,wherein the first component of the lid stack comprises a plate member,and wherein the degree of parallelism is determined between a lowersurface of the plate member and an upper surface of the pedestal. 20.The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second component of the lid stackcomprises a ring member.